Pneumatic hub for wheels.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. WILLIAM SAMUEL HAD G RAF T SMITH, OFCROYDON, ENGLAND.

PNEUMATIC HUB FOR WHEELS.

Patented Feb. 26, 1907.

.Toull whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM SAMUEL HADGRAFr SMITH, a subject of the Kingof' Great Britain, residing at 212 Whitehorse road, Croydon,'in thecounty of Surrey, England have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Pneumatic Hubs for zyheels, of which the following is aspecifica- This invention relates to improvements in the pneumatic hubsdescribed in the specification of the Patent No. 819,942, dated 8th ofMay, 1906.

It is found if the pneumatic tube is made of comparatively thin rubberthat as the lower part of the tube is compressed the up" per part tendsto expand into the space between the guides for the nave, and the tubeis consequently apt to become wornor out. To

prevent this, I fix in the pneumatic tube an annular diaphragm ordiaphragms of canvas 0! the like parallel to the plane of the wheel.

Such a diaphragm, while preventing the tube from expanding, in no wayhinders its compression.

In the hub described in the said former s ecification the tube issurrounded by a tnick band of canvas leather, or the like,

which lies between the guides for the nave.

When this band is fixed to the tube, as is desirable when torsionalstrains have to be provided for, it is apt to drag the tube up betweenthe ides. In order to prevent this, connect t 1e band to the tube or,preferably, to a canvas jacket inclosing the tube by a fiat tube atcanvas or the like, the points of con- 'nection to the band and thepneumatic tube respectively at the middles of the two opposite flattenedsides of the tube, so that when the band tends to move away from thepneumatic tube itis free to do so, the flattened tube simply opening ina bellows-like way.

In place of carrying the inflation tube out between the-spokes, asbefore, I now carry it out through one of the flanges on the axle and asnear as may be to the axle, as I find that at this place the pneumatictube is practically stationary relatively to the axle, and

' znl'z bing, therefore, takes place.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a pneumatic tube and surrounding bandconstructed according to this invention. Fig. 2 is a section of the hubwith the tube in place; "and Fig. 3 1s a similar view to Fig. 2, showingthe position the parts assume when the axle is weighted.

a is the axle-box, if the wheel revolves on a fixed axle, or the end ofthe axle itself, if the axle revolves in bearings. In this specificationit will for brevity be called the axle.

b is a flange fixed-to the axle.

c is a plate fixed to the flange b by bolts d.

e is a plate similar to c and fitting loosely on the axle a.

f is a pneumatic tube of more or less oval section, and g is the nave ofthe wheel, which receives the spokes h. The plates 0 and e are connectedtogether by bolts 7' and distancetubes is, which pass through tubesof-the nave g, so that the nave 1s free to move freely up and downbetween" the plane surfaces of the plates 0 and e.

Z is a band, of leather, interposed between the pneumatic tube f and thenave g. It is prevented from moving relatively to the latter by lugs m,which enter into holes in 1t. All this is exactly as described in thesaid former specification.

According to the present invention the tube f has fixed inside itdiaphragms n, which, as shown at the upper part of Fig. 3, prevent thetube from expanding, but, as shown at the lower part of Fig. 3, allow itto be com ressed..

The and Z, surrounding the pneumatic tube, is connected to it by theflat tube 0, the middles of the flattened sides of which are fixed tothe band Z and pneumatic tube f as shown the upper part of Fig. 3. Theband Z, as before, has notches p in it to engage with 2. The combination0? an annular neu l matic tube, a, band surrounding it and a flab tubebetween and fixed to th: pneumatlc tube and the band.

3. The combmatlon of an annular pneu matlc tube, KfidlLl dlaphragm fixedmsidc 11;, a band surroundmg 1t and a flat tube be- Lwaen and fa s 0 tmeumafiwttibee and FBEDK. L. RAND.

